Anaerobic treatment of methanol condensate from pulp mill compared with anaerobic treatment of methanol using mesophilic UASB reactors

The feasibility of anaerobic treatment of methanol condensate from pulp and paper mill in UASB reactor was investigated and compared with the anaerobic treatment of methanol. The UASB reactor treating methanol condensate was operated for 480 days with minimum problems of overload. COD removal from methanol condensate and methanol under normal operating conditions ranged from 84-86% to 86-98%, respectively. Under optimal conditions (OLR = 5.0 g COD L-1 day(-1), CODinfluent = 11.40 g L-1) a methane yield of 0.29 NL CH4 per g CODremoved (at standard temperature and pressure) was achieved during the treatment of methanol condensate. The recovery time of the microorganisms after several overloads was decreasing each time probably due to the adaptation to methanol condensate. These findings indicate that methanol condensate can be efficiently treated in a UASB reactor with the benefit of biogas production. As a bonus effect of the treatment, much of the smell of the feed was eliminated. (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd.